November 10, 2013

The Africa Report has disturbing new information that a second Islamic insurgency group called Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN)is emerging as a powerful force in the battle to divide Nigeria. The increasingly bitter battles between central government troops and the better know Boko Haram seems to have increased the fighting in the northern states. The government had hoped for a quick massive military strike that would have taken out Boko Haram.

This has not happen.
Instead more groups are forming and the insurrection appears to be spreading to a wider geographic area. Nigeria could be two quick steps from a major civil war.

Nigeria could face another terrorist threat posed by the pro-Iranian Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), whose apparently deepening ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hezbollah signals further danger for a region that is already unstable.
According to the Combatting Terrorism Centre at Westpoint, the IMN serves as an extension of Iran's foreign policy in Nigeria.

IMN has reportedly been working with Iran's Qurds forces and Lebanese Hizbollah to gather intelligence on United States and Western expatriates in Nigeria amid fears the group is plotting violent attacks.

The Shiaa Muslim-dominated IMN upholds the ideologies of Khomeinism, a fiercely pro-Sharia and anti-Western creed, which forms the basis of the enmity that exists between Iran and America and its ally Israel.

State Security Service broke up a terrorist group backed by Iranian handlers who wanted to assassinate a former military ruler

The group has fuelled increased extremism among Shia muslims (globally) due to calls by its proponents for 'Jihad' against perceived oppressors.

The group commands thousands of ready-made martyrs known as hurras, a uniformed, regimented wing of the IMN modelled after Iran's Revolutionary Guard, according to IMN's website.

Nigeria is currently battling Boko Haram, a violent Islamic terrorist group that has killed thousands in the crusade against Western education.

Jacob Zenn, a consultant on counter terrorism, said Boko Haram and the IMN shared a common enemy in the opposition to Western domination.

The two groups blame poverty and suffering in Nigeria on Westernisation, and while its clear that Boko Haram wants Sharia law to be introduced across the entire country, the IMN's objective in this regard remains vague.

A World Bank Country report released in May revealed that 63% of Nigeria's population live in abject poverty, with the phenomenon more prevalent in the North of the country.

Of the 19 states recognised as being in the North of Nigeria, Sharia law is practiced fully in 9 and partially in 3.

According to intelligence sources, some radicalised members of the IMN, who are typically uneducated, impoverished Muslim youths, have joined the battle-ready movements of Boko Haram.

In a recent operation, Nigerian security forces intercepted ships smuggling ammunitions and heroine from Iran to IMN operatives in Nigeria.

And in February, officials arrested three members of an Iranian-backed terrorist cell plotting to murder military and religious leaders.

"The State Security Service broke up a terrorist group backed by Iranian handlers who wanted to assassinate a former military ruler and gather intelligence about locations frequented by Americans and Israelis", Secret Police spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar told Reuters in February.

In May, soldiers in northern Nigeria uncovered an arms cache that belonged to members of the Lebanese militant movement Hezbollah.

There are suspicions that the IMN like Boko Haram, obtains arms illegally from foreign sources in the Middle East.

Experts say as Nigeria searches for the illusive Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, it should also keep an eye on on Al-Zakzaky.
Al-Zakzaky, was leader of the Nigeria's Muslim Brotherhood and an advocate of Islam as an alternative to capitalism and socialism.

Adopting the ideologies of Iran's Ayatolla Khomeini, Egypt's, Hassan al-Banna, Al-Zakzaky has often questioned Nigeria's secularism- asserting that the country should be more like Iran.

Zenn further argues that Nigeria must take note of the IMN leader. In 1979, Al-Zakzaky burnt the Nigerian constitution to protest against secularism.

His rhetoric today is one of Islamic fundamentalism which capitalises on poverty, unemployment, and violence in Nigeria's north.

By painting the West as a symbol of anti-Islamic oppression, Al-Zakzaky appeals to Nigerian Sunni Muslims, and creates a fertile ground for radicalisation.

Al-Zakzaky transformed IMN from a student group to a mass movement that called for a jihad and Sharia across Nigeria.

The IMN, Al-Zakzaky and his understudy Mustapha Lawan Nasidi, a.k.a Yakubu Yahaya, a more radical and violence-prone Imam must continue to be of interest to the Nigerian authorities, analysts say.

According to the 2013 Combatting Terrorism Center report, Iran is promoting Khomeinsm through the IMN so as to influence Nigerian Muslims to revolt against Westernisation.

IMN would also become a recruitment base and offer ideological development for Shia and non-Shia extremist groups in Nigeria.

October 29, 2013

"Adding to the pressure to act is growing evidence that terrorist groups have entered the black market, paying poachers to kill the animals and selling their horns and ivory at a premium to middlemen in the United States and Asia to fund operations ...."

-Washington Post

In an article in the Washington Post, conservationists proclaimed that the United States government is not a powerful leader in the battle against poaching around the world. In fact, The Clinton Foundation will be raising eight times the amount that the entire United States government will be allocating for the battle to save the rhino and elephants. The Foundation is raising $80 million to fight poaching and create new wildlife parks.

Although conservationists view the new U.S. action as not going far enough, they welcomed it as a step forward.

“We are getting to the point of no return,” said Richard G. Ruggiero, a former nongovernment conservationist who is now the Africa branch chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of International Conservation.

“We lacked political will in the U.S., overseas and in consumer nations such as China,” he said. “Without political will, there’s nothing.”

Time is rapidly running out.

This month over 300 elephants were poisoned at one time at a watering hole in Africa. In the first three months of 2013, over 150 elephants had been killed in South Africa alone. In the last decade, 11,000 elephants have been slaughtered in Gabon.

Soon American children will never be able to see an elephant or rhino in the wild unless the government does more.

The Post reports on the link between terrorism and poaching.

Adding to the pressure to act is growing evidence that terrorist groups have entered the black market, paying poachers to kill the animals and selling their horns and ivory at a premium to middlemen in the United States and Asia to fund operations such as the deadly Sept. 21 attack on a Kenyan shopping mall by the Somali group al-Shabab, a wing of al-Qaeda.

Between one and three tons of ivory, worth $200,000 to $600,000, entered Somalia each month through al-Shabab, according to the EAL. It disappeared in the dark hulls of ships and airplanes bound for points worldwide.

Although the EAL claims to have funded excursions to extract information and relied on Somalis with close contacts in the terrorist network, the report containing anonymous sources is not fully trusted, even among fellow conservationists.

But it says there’s enough evidence to show that the connection between poaching and terror groups is real. Last year, ivory was found by Congolese police who raided a camp of the insurgent Lord’s Resistance Army, which uses children as soldiers.

September 30, 2013

Another one for DavidMixner.com's new series on providing backgrounds for our readers on people, places or things that will help you understand the world better. Hopefully, in just five minutes we can increase the knowledge on which you base your beliefs.

Today is about Al-Shabab the group that attacked the Mall in Kenya. The following information comes from the BBC.

Al-Shabab At A Glance

-Means "The Youth" in Arabic
-Formed as a radical offshoot of the Union of Islamic Courts, which controlled Mogadishu, in 2006
-Previously ran much of southern Somalia
-Lost some popular support by banning Western aid agencies during 2011 famine
-Estimated to have 7,000 to 9,000 fighters
-Announced merger with al-Qaeda in 2012

Who are al-Shabab?

Al-Shabab means The Youth in Arabic. It emerged as the radical youth wing of Somalia's now-defunct Union of Islamic Courts in 2006, as it fought Ethiopian forces who had entered Somalia to back the weak interim government.

There are numerous reports of foreign jihadists going to Somalia to help al-Shabab and it has formed links with al-Qaeda.

It is banned as a terrorist group by both the US and the UK and is believed to have between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters.

It has imposed a strict version of Sharia law in areas under its control, including stoning to death women accused of adultery and amputating the hands of thieves.

How much of Somalia does al-Shabab control?

Although it has lost control of the towns and cities, its writ still runs in many rural areas.

It was forced out of the capital, Mogadishu, in August 2011 and left the vital port of Kismayo in September 2012.

Kismayo had been a key asset for the militants, allowing supplies to reach areas under their control and providing taxes for their operations.

The African Union (AU), which is supporting government forces, hailed both as major victories, however al-Shabab still carries out fairly frequent suicide attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere.

Analysts believe al-Shabab is increasingly focusing on guerrilla warfare to counter the firepower of AU forces.

But the group is under pressure on several fronts following Kenya's incursion into Somalia in 2011. Kenya accused al-Shabab fighters of kidnapping tourists, and its forces, now under the AU banner, have been in the forefront of the push against al-Shabab in the south up to Kismayo.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian forces moved in from the west and seized control of the central towns of Beledweyne and Baidoa.

Who is al-Shabab's leader?

Ahmed Abdi Godane is the head of the group. Known as Mukhtar Abu Zubair, he comes from the northern breakaway region of Somaliland.

Mr Godane is rarely seen in public. His predecessor, Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro, was killed in a US airstrike in 2008.

Mr Godane, who was behind the group's tie-up with al-Qaeda and has a hardline, international agenda has recently emerged victorious from an internal power-struggle.

His rival, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, is more focussed on the struggle within Somalia. He is now in government custody, while several of his allies have been killed.

The attack on the Nairobi shopping centre could be intended as a sign that Mr Godane has firmly cemented his control of the group.

What are al-Shabab's foreign links?

Al-Shabab joined al-Qaeda in February 2012. In a joint video, al-Shabab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane said he "pledged obedience" to al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The two groups have long worked together and foreigners are known to fight alongside Somali militants.

US officials believe that with al-Qaeda on the retreat in Afghanistan and Pakistan following the killing of Osama bin Laden, its fighters will increasingly take refuge in Somalia.

UK security officials have long warned of the danger of British radicals getting training in Somalia and then going home to carry out attacks.

There have also been numerous reports that al-Shabab may have formed some links with other militants groups in Africa, such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Has al-Shabab carried out attacks outside Somalia?

Al-Shabab has said it carried out the deadly assault on a shopping centre in Nairobi on 21 September, in which at least 68 people were killed.

It was responsible for a double suicide bombing in Uganda's capital, Kampala, which killed 76 people watching the 2010 football World Cup final on television.

The attack was carried out because Uganda - along with Burundi - provided the bulk of the AU troops in Somalia before the Kenyans went in.

Analysts say the militants often enter and leave Kenya without being intercepted. Their fighters are said to even visit the capital, Nairobi, for medical treatment.

The 2002 twin attacks on Israeli targets near the Kenyan resort of Mombasa were allegedly planned in Somalia by an al-Qaeda cell, while the US believes some of the al-Qaeda operatives who carried out the 1998 attacks on its embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam then fled to Somalia.

Who are al-Shabab's backers?

Eritreais its only regional ally. It denies claims it supplies arms to al-Shabab.

Eritrea supports al-Shabab to counter the influence of Ethiopia, its bitter enemy.

With the backing of the US, Ethiopia sent troops to Somalia in 2006 to defeat the Islamists. The Ethiopian forces withdrew in 2009 after suffering heavy casualties.

After intervening again in 2011, it says it will hand over the territory it has seized to the AU.

What about the Somali government?

The president is a former academic and activist, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. He was elected in 2012 by the newly chosen Somali parliament, under a UN-brokered peace process.

He defeated ex-President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed - a former Islamist rebel fighter, whose three years in power were criticised by donors who said corruption was rife.

Al-Shabab has denounced the process as being a foreign plot to control Somalia.

Somalia is pretty much a failed state. It has not had an effective national government for about 20 years, during which much of the country has been a constant war-zone.

This made it easy for al-Shabab, when it first emerged, to win support among Somalis. It promised people security - something they welcomed.

But its credibility was knocked when it rejected Western food aid to combat the 2011 drought and famine.

Al-Shabab advocates the Saudi-inspired Wahhabi version of Islam, while most Somalis are Sufis. Al-Shabab has destroyed a large number of Sufi shrines, causing its popularity to further plummet.

However, with Mogadishu and other towns now under government control, there is a new feeling of hope in the country and many Somalis have returned from exile, bringing their money and skills with them.

With services such as dry cleaning and rubbish collection opening, maybe Somalia can finally re-emerge from the ashes of the past two decades

September 29, 2013

The situation in Nigeria continues to deteriorate as the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram struck again in the middle of the night. Despite a massive presence of government troops in the northern provinces, there appears to be no easing of the vicious and brutal attacks.

In the middle of the night, gunmen enter the dormitories of The College of Agriculture in Yobe State. They opened fire on sleeping students killing at least 26 and most likely a great deal more.

College provost Molima Idi Mato told Associated Press the death toll could be as high as 50, adding that security forces were still recovering the bodies and that about 1,000 students had fled the campus.

A military spokesman in Yobe state, Lazarus Eli, told Agence France-Presse the gunmen had also set fire to classrooms.

September 25, 2013

Quite honestly, I debated if it was appropriate to publish these photographs from Boston.com's Big Picture. After all, there has been saturation coverage of the events in the media. However, these photographs taken by some of the best photojournalist in the world are proof why photojournalism is a critical form of media to bring the real world to the people.

These photographs, more than anything I have seen (and certainly any moving images) capture the horror. The looks, the devastation, the fear and the sadness. If we want a safer world than we must look head on into the face of the consequences of violence, war and uncontrolled hatred.

Click here to the names and credits of the photographers who risk their lives on a daily basis to make sure you have knowledge of the plight of people around the world. In additional there are more photographs at the site.

September 21, 2013

This starts a new section on davidmixner.com called "Things You Should Know About". Hopefully these brief sections will help you become better informed without having to do an enormous amount of reading or research.

Today's briefing is on Boko Haram.

Nigeria, one of the most important nations in Africa, is on the verge of Civil War. Boko Haram is the main insurgency group that national Nigerian troops are currently bitterly fighting. Over a thousand have died in the last weeks of combat.

Recently the terrorist organization struck in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.